Hints for dual PICKIT3 MPLABX operation?

[thutches]

I have two Pikit3's plugged in and properly registered to each of two projects that comprise a system of multiple PIC32 boards, one master PIC32 and 4 slaves interconnected by CANBUS.  Generally everything works fine but I haven't figured out a way to display source files of the two projects in separate windows.  As it is, each project has a  file named main.c, etc.  It is very difficult to manage not to incorrectly edit the wrong files.  Are there any methods that I have overlooked for displaying the two projects in their own source window?  If I could manage to run separate instances of MPLABX I suppose that would work as well or better but that doesn't seem possible either.
 
What do others do in this case?

Regards,

Tim
 

[lapm]

Personally in such case i would either edit one project at time or get second laptop to run the other one.

But what you could do is have source files open in separate editor, but that docent solve problem of having two projects open at same time.

Can you combine the projects in to single project? Maybe in source flag that tells when ever its to compile host or slave... Conditional compile i believe is the term i'm looking here..

After all quite big part of source code can be shared, example your CANBUS interface code, etc...

[Skimask]

As cheap as laptops (or desktops for that matter) are these days, is it even worth the hassle?

[stoqnovst]

You can start multiple instances of MPLAB X by setting unique "userdir" for each instance.
Make a copy of the MPLAB X icon, click properties and modify the target. Add --userdir <path>.

"C:\Program Files\Microchip\MPLABX\mplab_ide\bin\mplab_ide.exe" --userdir "d:\temp\mplabx-instance1"

You can also, split the workspace by dragging the tab to the right middle side of the window.
Also you can undock a window by right clicking on the tab.